July 12th: RULES DON'T APPLY (Warren Beatty, 2016)
NOTE: This film will be projected in the high-definition Blu-ray format.
Two young people from conservative backgrounds meet in Los Angeles while working for the enigmatic tycoon Howard Hughes.
Warren Beatty is an important bridge between the Golden Age of the major movie studios and the anti-establishment New Hollywood of the 1970s, having made his film debut in the classic Splendor In The Grass (1961) opposite Natalie Wood. Within six years he was starring in and producing Bonnie & Clyde, a watershed moment for modern voices and fresh stylistic approaches in American film. Beatty would go on to direct his own films, winning an Oscar for his communist epic Reds in 1981. After his political satire Bulworth, he took an extended break from filmmaking to raise a family with actress Annette Bening.
Beatty had flirted with making a film about the reclusive Howard Hughes since the 1970s, conducting research over the years and likely stalled by other releases on the subject, notably Jonathan Demme's Melvin and Howard and Martin Scorsese's The Aviator. Eventually working with veteran screenwriter Bo Goldman (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest), Beatty opted to focus on Hughes's later years, as well as putting the romance between two new Hollywood arrivals at the forefront of the story, reflecting on his own experiences starting in the industry as well as critiquing puritan attitudes about sex and the hypocrisies accompanying them.
A good number of young notable actors were approached for the main roles, which eventually went to Alden Ehrenreich (Hail Cesar!, the upcoming Han Solo movie) and Lily Collins (The Blind Side, Mirror Mirror). With Beatty himself playing Hughes, the rest of the cast was filled with previous collaborators such as Bening (American Beauty), Oliver Platt (TV's The West Wing), Paul Sorvino (Dick Tracy), as well as other trusted names like Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now), Ed Harris (The Truman Show), Alec Baldwin, Candice Bergen (TV's Murphy Brown).
There were extensive rehearsals with Beatty and the main actors, with improvisation highly encouraged. Despite the long gestation with the project, Beatty was very much interested in the collaborative process and open to suggestions. Pre-production involved Beatty dipping his toe in every department with his meticulous attention to detail.
Behind the camera was veteran cinematographer Caleb Deschanel (The Right Stuff), who worked with production designer Jeannie Oppewall (L.A. Confidential) and costume designer Albert Wolsky (Bugsy) to achieve an authentic reproduction of 1960s Los Angeles. Location shooting took place at various landmarks such as the Biltmore Hotel and Musso & Frank Grill.
After filming completed in 2014, Beatty spent 2 years on-and-off in post-production, with gossip building about the film, information kept mostly under wraps by the director's secretive nature. It was released to mixed reviews, perhaps many critics surprised by its light touch and romantic comedy leanings. It did not fare well at the box office or at year-end awards, save for Collins receiving a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.
Running time is 2 hrs.
Two young people from conservative backgrounds meet in Los Angeles while working for the enigmatic tycoon Howard Hughes.
Warren Beatty is an important bridge between the Golden Age of the major movie studios and the anti-establishment New Hollywood of the 1970s, having made his film debut in the classic Splendor In The Grass (1961) opposite Natalie Wood. Within six years he was starring in and producing Bonnie & Clyde, a watershed moment for modern voices and fresh stylistic approaches in American film. Beatty would go on to direct his own films, winning an Oscar for his communist epic Reds in 1981. After his political satire Bulworth, he took an extended break from filmmaking to raise a family with actress Annette Bening.
Beatty had flirted with making a film about the reclusive Howard Hughes since the 1970s, conducting research over the years and likely stalled by other releases on the subject, notably Jonathan Demme's Melvin and Howard and Martin Scorsese's The Aviator. Eventually working with veteran screenwriter Bo Goldman (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest), Beatty opted to focus on Hughes's later years, as well as putting the romance between two new Hollywood arrivals at the forefront of the story, reflecting on his own experiences starting in the industry as well as critiquing puritan attitudes about sex and the hypocrisies accompanying them.
A good number of young notable actors were approached for the main roles, which eventually went to Alden Ehrenreich (Hail Cesar!, the upcoming Han Solo movie) and Lily Collins (The Blind Side, Mirror Mirror). With Beatty himself playing Hughes, the rest of the cast was filled with previous collaborators such as Bening (American Beauty), Oliver Platt (TV's The West Wing), Paul Sorvino (Dick Tracy), as well as other trusted names like Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now), Ed Harris (The Truman Show), Alec Baldwin, Candice Bergen (TV's Murphy Brown).
There were extensive rehearsals with Beatty and the main actors, with improvisation highly encouraged. Despite the long gestation with the project, Beatty was very much interested in the collaborative process and open to suggestions. Pre-production involved Beatty dipping his toe in every department with his meticulous attention to detail.
Behind the camera was veteran cinematographer Caleb Deschanel (The Right Stuff), who worked with production designer Jeannie Oppewall (L.A. Confidential) and costume designer Albert Wolsky (Bugsy) to achieve an authentic reproduction of 1960s Los Angeles. Location shooting took place at various landmarks such as the Biltmore Hotel and Musso & Frank Grill.
After filming completed in 2014, Beatty spent 2 years on-and-off in post-production, with gossip building about the film, information kept mostly under wraps by the director's secretive nature. It was released to mixed reviews, perhaps many critics surprised by its light touch and romantic comedy leanings. It did not fare well at the box office or at year-end awards, save for Collins receiving a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.
Running time is 2 hrs.
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